Director of Product

Role Description

The Director of Product at SYNC Performance is a senior role responsible for owning the entire product lifecycle end-to-end. This role is a hands-on position, expected to operate as a full Product Developer, guiding products from initial concept and design through development, factory execution, production, delivery, and post-launch evaluation.

This role requires a deep understanding of technical apparel and/or equipment development, materials, fit, construction, costing, and manufacturing workflows. The Director of Product will work directly with factories, vendors, and internal partners to ensure that every product meets SYNC’s performance standards, cost targets, and delivery timelines. The Director of Product reports directly to the Leadership team to ensure that product decisions support business goals, operational realities, and long-term brand strategy.

Core Responsibilities

• Product Strategy & Line Planning:
  • Own seasonal and long-range product line plans, ensuring alignment with brand vision, customer needs, and financial targets.
  • Define product architecture, SKU rationalization, and roadmap priorities.
  • Establish and maintain clear product briefs outlining function, target consumer, pricing, margin targets, and delivery timelines.
  • Balance innovation with operational feasibility and cost discipline.
  • Travel internationally to vendors/factories as needed.
• Product Design & Inception:
  • Implement leadership’s product strategy through concept development, including materials, silhouettes, features, and use-case definition.
  • Collaborate on or directly execute technical design inputs such as construction details, trims, and functional requirements.
  • Oversee prototype intent and ensure early concepts translate cleanly into buildable products.
  • Evaluate competitive products and emerging technologies to inform design direction.
• Product Development & Execution:
  • Own the full development process from first prototype through production approval.
  • Work directly with factories on patterning, fit, materials, construction methods, and revisions.
  • Manage sample reviews, testing, feedback loops, and iteration timelines.
  • Approve final specifications, BOMs, and cost sheets prior to production.
  • Ensure products meet performance, durability, and quality standards before production sign-off.
• Factory & Vendor Management:
  • Act as the primary product-side point of contact with manufacturing partners.
  • Collaborate with factories to solve construction, costing, and timeline challenges.
  • Align development decisions with factory capabilities and capacity.
  • Support sourcing decisions related to materials, trims, and production locations.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration:
  • Work closely with Operations to align development timelines with purchasing, logistics, and inventory planning.
  • Partner with Marketing and Sales to ensure product stories, features, and timing are clearly communicated.
  • Support go-to-market readiness through accurate product information and delivery forecasting.
  • Contribute to OKRs and leadership reporting related to product progress and execution.
• Process & Continuous Improvement:
  • Build and refine product development systems, workflows, and documentation.
  • Establish clear milestone tracking from concept through delivery.
  • Identify opportunities to improve speed, quality, cost efficiency, and cross-team execution.
  • Document decisions, learnings, and standards to create repeatable best practices.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading full end-to-end product development, ideally in performance apparel, outdoor, or technical consumer goods.
• Strong technical knowledge of materials, construction, fit, and manufacturing processes.
• Demonstrated ability to work directly with factories and vendors.
• High attention to detail paired with strong prioritization and decision-making skills.
• Ability to balance creative vision with operational and financial constraints.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Comfort operating in evolving environments where processes are continuously refined.
• Proficiency with product development tools, spreadsheets, and collaborative software.

Performance Expectations

• Products are delivered on schedule, within cost targets, and to defined performance standards.
• Development timelines are clearly communicated and reliably met.
• Factory relationships are productive, solutions-oriented, and accountable.
• Product decisions support broader company OKRs and seasonal objectives.
• Systems and processes improve clarity, efficiency, and execution quality over time.

Employment Details

This is a full-time role. Compensation, benefits, and start date will be determined based on experience and alignment with SYNC Performance’s long-term needs.